Audio tape cassettes are to a large extent today marketed and packaged in a two part box-like container that is slightly larger than the cassette itself that carries, in addition to the cassette, a cardboard insert having graphics and cassette information, that can be viewed through a clear plastic portion of the container. This container includes a pouch-like portion into which the tape and graphics card are inserted and a pivotal cover that encloses the open area of the pouch when snapped over. Norelco Corporation manufactures a container of this type.
The Norelco type container is additionally overpackaged in a variety of ways for display at the retail location. Such repackaging or over-packaging ranges from a simple thin-skinned plastic shrink wrap to more elaborate display cards with blister-type packaging.
A container of this two-part type is shown in the Smyth, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,850, where it is illustrated enclosed within a generally planar blister pack having a hole for insertion over a display rack and also having side edges that permit it to be inserted into a grooved display storage device. After the packaged cassette is purchased, the blister, of course, must be destroyed in order to remove the "Norelco" type container and, therefore, the storage capability for the user is rendered useless. Furthermore, the cost of this blister-type packaging of the "Norelco" type container is greater than the simple shrink wrap referred to above.
Attempts have been made in the past to provide consumer useable storage devices for cassette type tapes. One is shown in the Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,067, that includes a planar card having a plurality of flexible rubber projections that fit within the reels of the cassette to hold the cassette in position. This storage card is utilized solely as a user convenience and is not designed to display the cassette at the point of purchase.
Other consumer useable multiple tape storage devices have been designed in the past, such as the one shown in the Tolerson U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,299.
Because the point of sale packaging and marketing of audio cassettes, and particularly pre-recorded cassettes, utilize individually packaged cassettes, and since the cassettes are only approximately 3 in..times.4 in..times.1/2 in., they are easily stolen from the retail marketplace, and this theft is of such high magnitude that it is a significant cost problem in the audio cassette industry. This problem is so significant that many retailers only display pre-recorded audio cassettes through glass or plastic enclosed permanent shelving. This mode of marketing prevents the consumer from physically handling the product and from readily reading any informative text on the cassette package, and this results in reduced sales volume.
It is a primary object of the present invention to ameliorate the problems noted above in the packaging and consumer storage of cassette tapes, and particularly, standard audio tape cassettes.